Renzo Ortega, ArtistWhen Renzo Ortega was studying for his master’s in fine arts at Hunter College, there was a listserv students used to send emails to their peers. Ortega said he would often see students from other ...

Roman Tetelbaum, North Brooklyn Boat ClubSince 2010, the North Brooklyn Boat Club has provided kayak and canoe trips for the Greenpoint and Williamsburg communities. The all-volunteer nonprofit organization also runs ecological education ...

Jessica Lang, Jessica Lang Dance Co.Walking around the neighborhood she has called home for eight years, Jessica Lang was curious what was behind the industrial walls along 46th Avenue. Lang, a dancer and choreographer, moved to Long...

Rachel Thieme, Executive Director/Sunnyside ShinesWarm weather has already arrived, indicating that spring is well underway. For Rachel Thieme, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, this means it’s time to start...

Emanuel Malik Campbell, Woodside HousesThe Woodside Houses basketball court is finally getting an upgrade, and is currently undergoing a $500,000 renovation. The facelift is important not just to residents of Woodside Houses, but users ...

Albert Yoo, Bayside PeriodonticsDr. Albert Yoo, a periodontist and Long Island City resident, was recently selected to be part of Stony Brook University’s “40 under 40” Alumni Awards. Yoo was born in Queens and raised on Long Isl...

Valerie Skakun, Ridgewood ArtistValerie Skakun was doing just fine a few years ago. The Ridgewood resident’s textile-dyeing business, April May June, was taking off, and she took what her grandma taught her about sewing and refin...

Uri Cohen, Queens College HillelQueens College has approximately 4,000 Jewish students on campus, according to Uri Cohen, executive director of the Queens College Hillel. But each of them has his or her own story, background and ...

Hector Batista, CEO/Big Brothers Big SistersHector Batista is celebrating National Mentoring Month in a big way. The CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, the country’s first youth mentoring organization, opened up new offices th...

Ari Hoffnung, CEO/Vireo Health of NYAs the first medical marijuana dispensary opened in Queens this past weekend, Ari Hoffnung, CEO of Vireo Health of New York has a message: they are not selling joints or pot brownies. The Minnesota...

Shamsul Haque, Vice Chair/BAPAShamsul Haque is a Bangladeshi American police officer who is also Muslim. And he sees no problem with that. “I don’t see personally any conflict between our religion and our country because the Am...

Bill Weisberg, ForestdaleFor William “Bill” Weisberg, his end goal is ending child poverty. Weisberg is the new executive director of Forestdale, a direct family service organization in Forest Hills. He succeeds Anstiss Ag...

Margie Ray, Ebbets Field ResidentOn the first Tuesday of every month, a truck pulls up in the parking lot of the seven-building housing complex called Ebbets Field. The site used to be home to Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, befor...